We’ve seen regulation, we’ve seen overtime, and it seems only fitting that the third clash of 2024 between the Bainbridge Spartans and the North Kitsap Vikings would take us all the way to penalty kicks. And plenty of them.

Yet no good rally can last forever, and sophomore goalkeeper Meara Byers would be the one to clinch victory this time for the Vikings with a save to give her team the district championship by a score of 2-1 (7-6).

“We are blessed with a plethora of highly-skilled goalkeepers,” said Vikings coach Travis Rider. “It’s been a competitive position all season.”

Vikings goalkeepers had previously held the Spartans to two goals all year, one goal per match. Unfortunately for North Kitsap, that one goal would be enough for Bainbridge to pull away with both 1-0 regular season victories in the matchup.

The Spartans wouldn’t wait long to find a goal this time, senior Laine Romney scoring to take her team to halftime up 1-0.

Of course, Rider’s girls would not go down without a fight. “We really hit a turning point towards the end of the regular season, and we’ve just gotten stronger every game this postseason,” he said.

That strength was flexed around the 18th minute of the second half when junior Syleena Hogan connected on a beautiful long-distance free kick that perfectly passed through the small window of space between the crossbar and the Spartan goalkeeper’s outstretched arms.

The score remained 1-1 through regulation and two golden goal overtimes, sending the Spartans and Vikings to penalties. After 12 consecutive makes between the teams, disaster nearly struck when freshman Vianney Garcia Deluna’s shot sailed just high off the crossbar. Impossibly, Bainbridge was unable to take advantage when freshman Daphne Jackson missed too, her kick rolling wide left.

Senior Ellie Stanford put in what would become the game-winner, followed by Byers’ clinching save.

The Vikings and Spartans will each advance to the state tournament. Seedings are expected to be released in the coming days.

Kingston clinches state berth

Kingston has officially gone from winless just three seasons ago to state-bound in 2024.

The Buccaneers scored when it mattered most on their home turf to take down Eatonville 2-0 to advance to state for the first time since the program made it in back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013.

“It feels fantastic, especially for the girls that were on this team two, three years ago when it was just so many losses,” Bucs coach Steve Zehrung said. “It’s been a while since this program’s gone, definitely.”

Better than that is the feeling that it was not achieved by his scrappy team from last season that might have chanced their way to success but an organized and culture-driven squad that had begun to take hold of its true potential in just the past two months. “The total goals from last year to this is just up there now, and so low with goals against. Just not what people are used to, and it’s just fantastic,” Zehrung said.

After taking a brutal 3-0 loss to Bainbridge in the district semifinals, Zehrung applauded Kingston’s ability to pick itself up and learn from the mistakes so quickly. “Bainbridge is so good in their pressure where we couldn’t really get anything of our own started. Today, we went out real strong with high pressure, spread out the field to get time to make some good plays happen.”